Jackalman's Rebellion II
by Balin Lord of Moria
Summary: A spiritual successor to Vultureman's Army. Jackalman gets bold enough to try his hand at rebellion again, and this time, he's giving no quarter in battle. Inspired by TC episode, "Jackalman's Rebellion." Safari Joe and the Demolisher star as Jackalman's new rebel soldiers.
1. ACT I

**A/N: **This is a sequel to **Vultureman's Army**, another of my Mutant Victory fan fictions, but it's unrelated to that story plot-wise. These stories are all self-contained stories. In this one, Jackalman gets a little bolder than usual and makes another attempt at rebellion, like in the TC episode, "Jackalman's Rebellion," but this time, his soldiers are Safari Joe and the Demolisher, instead of the Driller and Molemaster, like in the show. Again, if you don't like villain victories, don't read. If you do, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _ThunderCats_ or its characters; Warner Bros. and Rankin/Bass own them.

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><p><span><strong>Jackalman's Rebellion II<strong>

**ACT I**

It was relatively peaceful on the meadows of Third Earth, midway between Cat's Lair and Castle Plun-Darr. The Wollos, the Bolkins, the Warrior Maidens, the Unicorn Keepers, and the wild things got along well with each other, as usual, and the day itself was pleasantly warm and quite beautiful. But this was soon to change, as an event that had happened some time in the past was about to happen again.

Suddenly, an old Mutant weapon that hadn't been seen for a long time appeared rolling on the ground. It was the Mutank, the alternate form of Ratar-O's RatStar spaceship, but Ratar-O wasn't the one piloting or commanding it. In fact, he wasn't even on the planet at the time. No, it was being piloted and commanded by Jackalman.

No one could account for how it happened, but the Canine Mutant was making another attempt at a rebellion against the Mutants and the ThunderCats, and soon, the Lunataks as well, despite the fact that Jackalman's last rebellion had gone down very badly. But this time, Jackalman had taken more precautions, and had waited for the right moment to make his move. Besides, this time, he had two soldiers in his little rebel army that were both more formidable than Molemaster and the Driller had been the first time.

In one of the seats of the Mutank sat Safari Joe. One might have wondered how he was able to go hunting again, after the ThunderCats had made him promise never to do it again. Fortunately for him, after a long, painful time of good behavior, he had found an opportunity to get at his robot assistant, Mule, and reinstall his old programming, so that they could go hunting together again. At the same time, though, Safari Joe's time on probation had done one good thing for him, and that was that he was less of a coward than he was before. He had gone into counseling on some planet somewhere in the galaxy, and his will had been strengthened enough that he could handle dangerous hunts better than before. He had even gotten in better shape in his middle age, so that if he had to, he could fight hand-to-hand, as well as with his Gatling gun.

He had offered to join Jackalman's rebellion when he heard that Jackalman was, quite evidently, a Jackal Mutant, a natural hunter, and promised that he would assist the Mutant in the more dangerous situations they came upon. Near Safari Joe sat Mule, his aforementioned robot partner.

In another seat sat an even more formidable fighter, the Demolisher, a trained fighter who fought simply for the glory of it. He went around the galaxy and fought people he deemed to be worthy opponents, and every time he had a victory, he felt very proud of himself for proving his mettle once again. While he didn't consider Jackalman to be a very formidable foe, he admired the way that Jackalman had held up against Lion-O and the ThunderCats for so long, and besides, joining Jackalman's second rebellion gave him another chance to get back at Lion-O and his friends. In the Mutank's last seat sat Dirge, the armadillo cheerleader of the Demolisher, whose high praise and beating drum always reminded the Demolisher of how excellent a fighter he was. He wasn't much of a fighter himself, but the Demolisher kept him by his side anyway, for the sake of morale.

Jackalman was snickering on about how he didn't need Slithe, Monkian, or Vultureman anymore. "When my rebellion has put a stop to those miserable ex-comrades of mine, I'll show the ThunderCats not to mess with me anymore, and I'll also teach the Lunataks a lesson even they will never forget! And as for Mumm-Ra, he may be more powerful than me, but maybe he'll reward me, as well as my rebellion, for getting rid of those noisome ThunderCats for good! Nyah! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!"

"I'll show that Lion-O not to mess with me again!" said Safari Joe, examining his gun, "Safari Joe is back in business, and this time, he's not going to get cowed by those Cats so easily!"

"And I have a score to settle with that self-righteous scoundrel, too!" said the Demolisher, "But this time, his ThunderCat friends are going down with him, and none of them are getting up again!"

"And I'll finally be worthy of being called the greatest Mutant General from Plun-Darr, General Jackalman!" Jackalman concluded their ambitious boasting. He once again wore a gold star on his armor, and he wielded Slithe's axe again, too.

Behind them, they heard the clear sound of laser fire. The Demolisher checked his monitor and saw the other Mutants pursuing them.

"Looks like your former friends are already after us, General Jackalman," he remarked.

Jackalman looked for himself. Slithe was riding the NoseDiver, and Monkian and Vultureman were flying the SkyCutters, and they all looked very mad.

"Aw," said Jackalman mockingly, "I see the poor boys have come to say goodbye."

"What do you say we give them a parting shot, General?" asked Safari Joe.

"What a good idea, Safari Joe! Nyah, ha, ha, ha, ha!" said Jackalman, and he told Joe to get his Gatling gun ready to shoot down the SkyCutters first.

Safari Joe did just that, climbing out of the Mutank's hatch and getting ready to take aim at Monkian's SkyCutter.

"Hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo! Safari Joe!" Monkian exclaimed, showing a flair for the obvious.

"Get him!" Slithe ordered. "That double-crossing Jackalman has to be stopped before he really screws up our wretched little unit!"

"Caw!" said Vultureman, "You're starting to sound like Mumm-Ra, Slithe!"

"Never mind that, bird-brain!" yelled Slithe, "Just get Safari Joe before he clips your wings!"

But it was too late, for Monkian, anyway. Safari Joe fired a very sharp dart at the engine of the SkyCutter, and a section of it blew up in Monkian's face. The Simian Mutant bailed out at the last second and fell into some bushes, while the SkyCutter crashed nearby.

"Ha! Safari Joe does it again!" yelled Safari Joe.

"Be careful, Safari Joe!" hollered Jackalman, "I was hoping to salvage the SkyCutters and the NoseDiver later for our own purposes!"

"You are?" said Safari Joe, sounding surprised.

"Of course!" replied Jackalman, "They might come in useful for our own excellent purposes! Try to think about that the next time you aim at one of those vehicles."

"No problem, General Jackalman," Safari Joe said, "Safari Joe always takes care when he aims his gun, and when he shoots, Safari Joe never misses! Except, of course, when I fought Lion-O by Cat's Lair and was unprepared for his trickery."

"Good," said Jackalman, "Now get ready, because the other Mutants are gaining on us!"

"Already on it, General!" said Safari Joe, aiming his gun. Suddenly, a sharp, fast arrow hit the gun and knocked it off its aim.

"Hey! What was that?!" Safari Joe cried.

The Warrior Maidens had become wise to the trouble that was going on by Tree-Top Kingdom, and were trying to stop it. As usual, Queen Willa and her sister, Nayda, were leading them.

"Aim at _all_ those vehicles," Willa was instructing them, "No Mutant or Mutant ally can be trusted to leave the Tree-Top Kingdom in peace."

"Oh, great, just what I need," said Safari Joe sarcastically, "A bunch of Amazonian women shooting at my superior weapons with _arrows!"_

"Leave this to me, General," said the Demolisher, getting up from his seat and exiting the Mutank. "Those women are obviously worthy opponents. I'll take care of those wenches, and then I'll catch up to you."

The Demolisher stood on top of the Mutank for a few moments. Safari Joe got impatient with him and said, "Well? What are you waiting for, Demolisher? Get them!"

"Relax, Safari Joe," said the Demolisher, "I'm getting ready for the right moment."

He waited a few more seconds, until the angered Reptilian Slithe had almost caught up in the NoseDiver, and suddenly, he jumped off the Mutant and tackled Slithe and his vehicle. Slithe struggled to fight him, but soon enough, the Demolisher shoved him out of his seat and onto the ground, taking over the NoseDiver's controls.

"Oh, _that's_ what you intended," said Safari Joe, "I'm impressed, Demolisher!"

"Nyah! Ha! Ha! Yes, you really _do_ know your stuff, Demolisher!" said Jackalman from inside the Mutank.

"Thanks," said the Demolisher. "Now start paying attention to Vultureman, while I take care of the Maidens!"

And just in time, because Vultureman was shooting his SkyCutter's lasers at the Mutank. Jackalman did some outmaneuvering moves that shook up the Mutank and almost made Safari Joe fall off, but the big game hunter managed to stay onboard.

Jackalman fired some rear missiles to keep Vultureman swooping and diving in the air, while Safari Joe lined up a shot. Joe fired an energy ray that turned into the shape of a bat, and it flew right in Vultureman's face. The Avian squawked and screamed in alarm, and fell off his SkyCutter, which fell to the ground, more or less in one piece. But before Vultureman could hit the ground too, Safari Joe pulled the same trick on him that he had on Cheetara the last time he was on Third Earth. He fired energy bolts with cuffs attached to them, two for Vultureman's wrists and two for his ankles, making him float in the air, unable to move.

Again, he shouted, "Ha! Safari Joe does it again!"

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><p>Meanwhile, the Demolisher had driven the NoseDiver right into the thick of the Warrior Maidens and their arrows, a bold strategy that they wouldn't have imagined anyone would've tried. He activated the NoseDiver's laser drill, and as he swerved past the trees the Maidens stood on, the drill cut through the trunks of the trees, making them teeter off balance. The Warrior Maidens struggled to stay on their perches, but some of them fell and received varying degrees of injuries, while others were desperately clinging to the stronger tree branches.<p>

The Demolisher parked the NoseDiver and jumped out. Willa and Nayda leapt to the ground and stepped up to confront him.

"We've never met you before," said Willa, "But you're not doing any more harm to anyone without getting past us first!"

"That's right!" said Nayda, "You just watch yourself, dog-face!"

"I always watch myself in combat, ladies," said the Demolisher smugly, "What's that? Dog-face? Nobody calls me dog-face!"

The Warrior Maiden leaders whipped out long, thin daggers, like short rapiers. The Demolisher, in turn, drew a weapon that was like a morning star with a drill on the end. Willa and Nayda slashed at him with their swords with the expertise of famous swordswomen. The Demolisher smoothly evaded both sword swipes and thrust his morning star at them. Willa leapt over it and landed a kick on the Demolisher's head. Nayda took advantage of the moment and made a cut on the Demolisher's left arm.

The Demolisher howled in pain for a second from the cut, but the kick didn't seem to have any effect at all. Then he made an excellent recovery, and slung his chain mace at them again. Nayda and Willa both aimed their daggers at his legs. Nayda missed, but Willa just managed to prick him slightly. The Demolisher recoiled for a moment, but again, he proved too strong to be taken down by such attacks.

Finally, after the Warrior Maiden sisters tried to stab him in the chest, which he deftly sidestepped, the Demolisher swung his mace with amazing speed and accuracy, and it hit Nayda on the shoulder. The second it did, the drill-like tip began to spin like a drill, cutting a small hole in her shoulder. Crying out in pain, Nayda fell down, already weakening from the pain and the bleeding.

"Nayda!" cried Willa. She broke off the fight to see to her sister. She quickly pulled out of a pouch on her belt a bottle of medicine and a clean cloth, and applied the medicine on her wound after washing away the excess blood, putting the bandage on afterwards.

The Demolisher looked down on them with glee. "Looks like the Demolisher wins another one! Dirge will be happy to hear this!"

Willa looked up and glared at the Demolisher. "We may have failed to stop you," she said bitterly, "but I can tell you this. The ThunderCats will put a stop to your stupid rebellion. There's nothing you can do about their intervening in your affairs!"

"That's exactly what I'm counting on, Maiden," said the Demolisher, laughing. He drove away in the NoseDiver to rendezvous with his allies. Willa glared at his back the whole time.

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><p>Slithe and Monkian had just picked themselves up from the ground and were running on foot, trying to catch up to Jackalman and his rebellion, but they were eventually too exhausted to run any further.<p>

"Blast this!" muttered Slithe, "And we lost all our vehicles, too! Now we have to trudge all the way back to Castle Plun-Darr on our bare feet! That Jackalman will really pay for this, especially when he comes crawling back to rejoin us again, which I'm sure he will!"

"Hoo, hoo! Yes, that's right!" said Monkian, "No more mercy, Jackalman!"

"Slithe! Monkian!" they heard a familiar voice say. They looked up and saw Vultureman floating in the air by Safari Joe's energy bolts.

"Get me down. Caw!" said Vultureman weakly.

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><p>When the Demolisher caught up to the Mutank, which was parked a long ways away from the meadow they had passed through, he related his macho story to his allies and his General.<p>

Dirge beat his drum. "Let's hear it for the Demolisher!" he said, "He beat his foes again! No one can beat the Demolisher!"

"I would say the Demolisher is almost as much a living legend as Safari Joe is," said Mule.

"The Mutants may not be gone yet, boys," said Jackalman, "But we sure showed them a thing or two while escaping them! And the Warrior Maidens won't want to mess with us anymore, either! Gentlemen, I think that General Jackalman's second rebellion is going to succeed dramatically where the first one failed!"

They raised their weapons in the air and cheered.

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><p>In the Unicorn Forest, not far from the Tree-Top Kingdom, the ThunderTank was patrolling the area, looking out for suspicious activity from the Mutants and the Lunataks. Panthro was driving it, as usual, and Lion-O and Ben-Gali rode in it with him.<p>

"Gee, Lion-O," said Ben-Gali, "The Unicorn Forest is such a beautiful place. I only wish Lynx-O still had his sight so he could see it, too."

"Me too, Ben-Gali," said Lion-O, "Me too. But I think he already has some idea of what it's like, what with the ThunderStrike and his braille boards."

"I still find it amazing what a simple braille board can do for a blind man," remarked Panthro.

At that moment, the Sword of Omens started to hum. The ThunderCats glanced at it, and Lion-O drew it.

"Sword of Omens, give me Sight Beyond Sight!" he commanded it.

He saw images of the Mutants failing to stop Jackalman, Safari Joe, and the Demolisher from starting another Mutant rebellion, and he also saw the harm the Demolisher had done to Nayda and most of the other Warrior Maidens.

"It looks like Jackalman has started another rebellion!" he exclaimed.

"The nerve of that dog!" said Panthro. "When are the Mutants ever going to learn the meaning of loyalty?"

"It's not just that, Panthro," said Lion-O, "Safari Joe and the Demolisher are back, too, and they're part of Jackalman's rebellion. I thought Safari Joe promised never to hunt again, and that the Demolisher would never return!"

"It just goes to show how shifty and clever our enemies can be, Lion-O," offered Ben-Gali, "Most of them just won't give up on committing evil deeds."

"Well, for the moment, I think we must hurry to the Tree-Top Kingdom and see how the Maidens are doing," said Lion-O, "Maybe they know more about what's going on than we do right now."

"That's a good idea, Lion-O," said Panthro, "We're on our way, now!"

He put the ThunderTank into gear, and they sped to see what had transpired at the Tree-Top Kingdom.

**END OF ACT I**


	2. ACT II

**A/N: **There are a few character deaths in this chapter, just so readers are warned. I've tried not to make the violence too intense for _ThunderCats_.

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><p><strong><span>Jackalman's Rebellion II<span>**

**ACT II**

Lion-O, Panthro, and Ben-Gali made it to the Tree-Top Kingdom in about five minutes. They were aghast when they saw the mayhem that had taken place there. The tree trunks were almost cut in half, and numerous Warrior Maidens lay injured on the ground, including Nayda, the scout Maiden. Willa, one of the few who was unhurt, ran about, tending to the wounded and looking for dead bodies.

"Willa!" said Lion-O, jumping out of the ThunderTank, "What happened here?"

"I say, it looks terrible around here!" said Ben-Gali.

"Yes, it is," said Willa, "Thank you for showing up, Lion-O. That creature they call the Demolisher nearly destroyed all of Tree-Top Kingdom! I was afraid he was going to kill all of us!"

"I'm surprised he didn't," said Panthro, "Our enemies have always wished for nothing less than our destruction."

"The Sword of Omens showed me Jackalman's second rebellion as well as what happened here," said Lion-O. "It's so unlike that coward to do any sort of thing on his own, especially after his last rebellion. And I don't know why the Demolisher is working with him, although I'm not so surprised that Safari Joe is with him too. One coward deserves another."

"I'll say," said Willa, "But Jackalman seems to be more in control of his facilities now. He and his men act like they know exactly what they're doing."

"The Mutants always act like they know what they're doing," remarked Lion-O, "They never learn from their mistakes. As loathe as I am to agree with Mumm-Ra on anything, he was right when he told me that once."

"Yes," said Ben-Gali, "But even though I've never met these guys you call Safari Joe and the Demolisher before, I think we should still keep a closer watch on the affairs of Third Earth for a while."

"I'm with you, Ben-Gali," said Lion-O. "Willa, we're going to call the Tower of Omens. They'll send Pumyra over at once. She a good healer, and she can help you heal your sister Maidens and guard the forest from further attacks."

"Thanks, Lion-O," said Willa gratefully, "I can take care of myself, but I'm glad to have Pumyra here to take care of the wounded, especially Nayda. She's looking pretty bad."

They all took a look at Nayda. She was resting, conserving her energy, while doing her best to stop the bleeding of her wound.

"Well, we're glad to be of help, Willa," said Panthro, "Just let us know if any further chaos happens on your territory."

"I will," promised Willa.

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><p>Far away, in the Mutank, Jackalman was driving far away from the more hospitable parts of Third Earth.<p>

"Where exactly are we going, General Jackalman?" asked the Demolisher.

"We're going to Dark Side, the forbidden territories," said Jackalman, "The Lunataks live there in their flying fortress, Sky Tomb."

"And who are the Lunataks?" asked Safari Joe, "Are they good hunting prey?"

"They're a bunch of arrogant trolls with super abilities, much like the ThunderCats," said Jackalman. "They come from the Moons of Plun-Darr. They think they're invincible geniuses, what with their high technology and natural super talents, but I think that with the help of your holojector, Safari Joe, we can find some weaknesses in their attack patterns."

"Glad to be of help, General," Safari Joe said. "Mule! Show me some information about these Lunataks!"

"Right away, sir," said Mule, setting up the holojector inside the Mutank. Soon, they were looking at a moving image of the Lunataks, and Mule was describing them.

"Lunatak prey," he started, "Luna, Amok, Alluro, Chilla, Tug Mug, and Red Eye. Luna is the self-appointed leader of the Lunataks. She is smart and clever, and very forceful, but her body is too small and weak to be of any use in an attack. Amok is her inarticulate bodyguard and mount. He is immensely strong and rough with his enemies. Alluro, while not much of a physical fighter, can control people's minds with a crystal ball he keeps on the end of a psyche club, and trick them into thinking that they are being treated gently. Chilla, who has little regard for life in general, can freeze objects and people with her icy breath, and conjure up fireballs to throw at enemies, as well. Tug Mug is a short, stubby Lunatak who can jump to extremely high heights due to his high gravity legs, and carries a gravity turbine that can make enemies heavy as stone or light as air, to make them easier targets for his allies. Red Eye is the one with superb eyesight, able to see into the infrared and even sees ThunderCat Tygra when he's invisible, and uses a flying discus attached to his chest to shoot lasers and fire at his enemies, as well as trap them in a circle of fire."

"Weaknesses: Luna is small and weak; Amok is very dumb, and is easily distracted by candy; Alluro is helpless without his mind-control psyche club; Chilla is vulnerable to fire and rock salt; Tug Mug is overconfident, and can be defeated by turning his own gravity turbine against him; and Red Eye can be blinded by very bright light."

Safari Joe whistled. "These trolls sure do look dangerous. Any recommendations, General Jackalman? Demolisher?"

"We need to work together and use all our weapons together to overcome their overconfidence," said the Demolisher, "I just hope you boys can do that, 'cause I sure can."

Jackalman laughed. "I don't doubt that we can give those Lunataks a run for their money if we work together. Of course, my fellow Mutants haven't made it easy for me to do so, which is one of the reasons I'm staging this rebellion in the first place. They and I can never work together!"

"Well, _we_ will," said the Demolisher, "Because that's what good fighters do. Right, Joe?"

"Right!" said Safari Joe, "When the reformed Safari Joe goes hunting, he uses all the help he can get, instead of just charging into danger, like I used to do!"

"Then it's agreed," said Jackalman, "We will defeat the Lunataks for good this time!"

The three of them let out a cheer of anticipation. Dirge did his cheerleading act again.

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><p>In Dark Side, the Lunataks spotted them before they spotted the Lunataks. They had been trying to stoke the Thundrillium-powered engines again, which had been becoming harder and harder lately, when their sensors had picked up the Mutank driving through the territories.<p>

"Blast those Mutants!" said Luna in her loud voice, "I'll bet they're crawling back to us yet again for some help with yet another pathetic scheme!"

"Maybe that crow called Vultureman wants Thundrainium for another of his Thundrainium cannons," hissed Chilla.

"Luna!" said Red Eye, "You have got to see this!"

"What is it, Red Eye?" demanded Luna.

"It's the Mutants, all right, but only one of them, that wimpy dog, Jackalman!" Red Eye explained, "And there's another dog-like creature with him, plus a dumb-looking armadillo, a stupid robot, and a man dressed up like a safari hunter!"

"Let me see!" said Luna. Red Eye brought up an image of the inside of the Mutank.

"Now what would a jerk like Jackalman be doing going solo from his fellow Mutants?" Alluro wondered.

"Yes," said Tug Mug, "And who are those tough-looking guys with him? They sure don't look like the type of people that can outfight us mighty Lunataks!"

"Be careful, Tug Mug!" said Luna warningly, "We have to be careful with these trespassers, or they could defeat us easily. Sky Tomb's power source has almost been compromised by now, and we need to be careful how we use it."

"Ssssss! They can't defeat us! No Mutant has ever been a match for a Lunatak, not even the mighty Ratilla!" said Chilla coldly.

"Yes," said Alluro, "What sort of genius information could a Mutant like Jackalman give to his new accomplices to warn them about our talents?"

"I'm just saying," said Luna impatiently, "That we have to fight them with all our strength, pull out all the stops. We can't risk them figuring out our weaknesses."

"Mutants! Destroy the Mutants and their allies!" said Amok.

"Then what are we waiting for?" said Tug Mug. "Let's go crush ourselves a Mutant!"

"This argument has to stop now," said Red Eye, "They're here!"

Indeed, for the Mutank had stopped outside of Sky Tomb just then. Luna operated a loud hailer and said, "All right, Jackalman! We know you're in there! Now come out of that stupid tank nice and easy, and maybe we'll be a little merciful on you! The same goes for your new friends!"

Jackalman laughed. "Me, surrender to you? General Jackalman? Nyah, ha, ha, ha, ha! I don't think so." he replied.

The Lunataks were steamed by that remark. "How dare you talk that way to us, you coward!" yelled Luna, "No Mutant crosses through Dark Side without answering to us, and you're not an exception!"

"Well of course I'm answering to you, Luna," said Jackalman, "But you see, we're not here to beg of you or to surrender our inferiority to your superiority. We're here to fight you, and defeat you!"

"I'd suggest you listen to the good General, Lunataks," the Demolisher cut in, "He knows what he's doing, and you don't."

The Lunataks started, and then they laughed. "Oh really?" said Tug Mug, "You think you can destroy us? I'd like to see you try!"

"I'd love to!" said Safari Joe, impetuously hopping out of the Mutank with his Gatling gun. "I love a challenge I can sink my teeth into!"

The Lunataks blinked at him. Luna said, "Fine, then! You want so badly to fight us? We'll give you that fight right now! In fact, we won't even use the weapons of Sky Tomb against you, to make things _marginally_ more fair. Lunataks, get down there and fight!"

In a matter of moments, the Lunataks were outside of Sky Tomb and on the ground. Safari Joe, the Demolisher, and Jackalman stepped forward and prepared to fight them. Mule and Dirge stayed a decent amount of space away from the thick of the action.

"And don't start thinking you can remain safe back there, you two dummies!" said Tug Mug, "When we're through with Jackalman and his 'rebellion,' you're next!"

"I can defend myself," said Mule, who held a spare rifle in his hands.

"But I can't!" said Dirge.

"That is what you get for never training to fight, yourself," replied Mule. Dirge let out a whimper.

Red Eye was first to step forward and fight. He removed his discus and flung it at Jackalman. The Mutant ducked it, and it flew back to Red Eye. The Lunatak threw it again, and this time, fire shot out of its bottom. Jackalman dodged this attack, too.

"What's the matter, Mutant?" mocked Red Eye, "Still a coward at heart like you always have been? We told you, you can never defeat the Lunataks!"

He got ready to throw the discus one more time, but this time, Safari Joe acted. He fired his energy bat directly at Red Eye's eyes. It danced in front of him, and it suddenly became blindingly bright. Red Eye covered his eyes, unable to see for a long time, and Safari Joe shot the discus to pieces with a blast from his gun. Finally, he shot Red Eye himself in the chest armor, wrecking the last remaining technology linked to the all-seeing Lunatak. Red Eye fell to the ground, dead.

Evidently, Jackalman's soldiers were tougher than they had bargained for. Alluro was pushed forward by Tug Mug and Chilla. Nervously, he took out his psyche club and sent the crystal ball flying over Safari Joe. The hunter was caught in the hypnotic light of the ball.

"Come now, Safari Joe, let's be sensible. You don't need to fight for Jackalman, you know," Alluro said soothingly.

"Be sensible, I don't have to work for Jackalman," Safari Joe muttered.

"Not this time, snake!" shouted Jackalman, leaping forward and smashing the crystal ball with his axe. Then he lurched toward Alluro and chopped the empty psyche club in two. Safari Joe quickly recovered from his hypnotic experience.

"My powers! They're ruined forever!" Alluro moaned.

"And so are you, Lunatak!" The merciless Demolisher ran toward Alluro, picked him up, and threw him into a ravine.

Tug Mug was stunned. "What in Plun-Darr's name is this!? Jackalman has never been this tough before! And those troops of his are-"

"Stop chattering and get in there, Tug Mug!" screamed Luna from Sky Tomb.

Tug Mug mumbled incoherently to himself, but he jumped forward, bouncing high in the air, aiming his gravity carbine at the three rebels. His intention was to make their bodies light enough that they would fly into the sky and out into unprotected, open space, and perish. But when he landed close to them, Jackalman charged and swung his axe at Tug Mug, and Tug Mug kept jumping away from each swing, mocking Jackalman's supposed clumsiness. But Jackalman had a strategy this time; he was drawing them closer to his two comrades in arms, and the Demolisher was getting ready to attack again.

At last, Tug Mug powered up the gravity carbine to full strength on the 'float' function, but before it fired, the Demolisher wrestled it from Tug Mug's grip and aimed it at him. The gravity carbine shot Tug Mug, and he floated high up into the sky, farther and farther away, until he was lost forever in the stars.

Luna couldn't believe what she was seeing. She screamed at Chilla to finish them off. Hastily, the ice Lunatak blew her icy breath at them, freezing them where they stood. Only their heads were exposed. Mule and Dirge were dismayed. Chilla laughed at her foes and said, "What could you possibly use to escape an ice cube, Jackalman? How about you, Demolisher? Safari Joe?"

"Simple," said Safari Joe, "First, fire!" He fired his gun, and it shot out flames that quickly broke and melted the ice around them. "And now, rock salt!"

Chilla gasped, but she had no time to flee, because Safari Joe was already pelting her with large pellets of rock salt, melting away the ice that always surrounded her and exposing her to the heat of Dark Side. She pleaded for mercy, but Safari Joe and Jackalman hadn't come there to show mercy. Joe kept shooting her until she sank to the ground and died, dehydrated and overheated.

Luna screamed her rage. She was all alone now, except for Amok. She quailed, afraid to go out there herself, and she somehow managed to activate the weapons of Sky Tomb, firing everything the floating castle had on its frame. The rebellion of Jackalman was pushed back for several minutes by the barrage of laser fire as the three soldiers took cover. But during the fighting, Mule had snuck back into the Mutank, which Luna hadn't noticed due to being distracted by the battle, and while she concentrated her firepower on Jackalman's rebellion, Mule fired a missile into the face of Sky Tomb.

Some of the laser cannons were badly damaged, but the explosion blew open one of Sky Tomb's eyes, and Luna and Amok came flying out of it. Jackalman came out of hiding, along with his men, and approached the two of them. Amok was soon on his feet and got ready to "smash their heads in," as he put it. But Safari Joe tossed some candy to Amok, just the kind he liked, to distract him. He followed the candy and began to chow down on it. And while he was distracted, Jackalman raised Slithe's axe and...

"No, Amok!" Luna screamed. But it was too late. A second later, Amok's severed head fell on top of what was left of the candy.

Luna let out a howl where she lay. Nothing was going her way at all. She was alone now, the last of the Lunataks. And then, she saw Jackalman and his cronies looming over her. She screeched in terror and despair.

"No, please!" she begged, "I'll do anything! Just spare me, you lunatics!"

Jackalman snickered. "A Lunatak, calling us lunatics?" His soldiers laughed.

"Sorry, Luna," said Jackalman, "But Mutantkind is through with your verbal abuse, and frankly, I think you and your dead pals should've stayed trapped in that molten rock, where you belonged. Then you'd be spared this fate."

He nodded to Safari Joe, who armed his gun with its smallest lethal ammo. Luna had time to scream, "NOOO-!" one last time before the bullet hit her in the chest and ended her life.

"Ha! Safari Joe does it again!" Safari Joe shouted.

"Let's here it for the Demolisher!" cheered Dirge. "He's the best! The Demolisher is the best!"

Jackalman let out a cheer of pride, waving his axe in the air. "General Jackalman proves his worth at last! Today, the Lunataks! Tomorrow, the ThunderCats! Nothing can stop us now!"

"I am not _entirely_ inclined to agree with that assessment, Mutant," a deep voice said from nearby, "But based on all your performances today, I might be willing to give you the chance to try defeating the ThunderCats."

They all started in surprise and turned. In the shadows, off to the side of Sky Tomb, stood the Ever-Living source of evil himself, Mumm-Ra.

**END OF ACT II**


End file.
